Turning the Clock
by poplarleaves
Summary: After seven long years, Ash has finally returned, and the first person he finds is Misty. Aside from the reasons behind Ash's disappearance, the two of them also have some other very interesting things to talk about...
1. Decemberance

**_Decemberance_**

Misty sat aside from the other customers in the coffee shop. It was a rather dull Saturday morning compared to the usual chaotic rush of graduates and joggers. Someone had hosted an all-night party down the block, no doubt. Misty sipped at her coffee, staring listlessly out the window. Traffic was busy as usual, thought not as frenzied as on weekdays. Parents would be taking their kids out to the park: flying kites, throwing Frisbees, falling off playground structures and breaking their bones... another sip. _I never did that stuff with Mom and Dad,_ Misty thought glumly. _I never even knew them. I only had Daisy, Violet, and Lily. Stinking older sisters._ She took an extra-long sip.

_Ching_. The miniature bell that hung from the shop door chimed, signaling the entrance of another customer. _Probably a regular_, Misty thought, turning towards the sound.

It wasn't. The new arrival was a dark-haired, lanky young man who looked about twenty - Misty's age. He sauntered in casually and let the door swing shut behind him as he observed the room. A black leather jacket hung loosely from his broad-shouldered frame, partially hiding the several Pokeballs clipped to his belt, devices used for carrying Pokemon around. He was a Pokemon trainer, then: someone who cared for and trained the animal-like Pokemon to fight in battles. Intrigued, Misty cocked her head and stared at him curiously. Had they met somewhere? He seemed so oddly familiar. To her horror, his eyes rested on her, and their gazes locked. Smiling, he slid into the seat opposite from hers.

"Misty." The familiar-looking stranger spoke her name with absolute confidence. A small smile quirked his mouth. "Don't you remember me?"

Misty's thoughts were in a whirl. Had she met him at a public appearance? Battled him? Received any fan letters from him? _Been stalked?_

Wait. Wait a second. Her eyes flickered over him. Black, spiky hair... a young, boyish look about him... it might be, even though it looked like he had grown, but how could it...? No. This couldn't... this couldn't be. Misty stared dumbly at the face that had haunted her for so long in her dreams. If this was... no... he would be around this age and this height... Ho-oh, who else would this be...?!

Something clicked, and she was in motion.

"You. Outside." The stranger had barely any time before Misty dragged him out the door and away from prying ears. She glanced around them one last time before she said, "Ash?"

"Yes."

"You _idiot_!" Misty backed him to the wall, gripping his collar tightly in her fist. "I am _this close_ to smashing you head in!" She caught her breath, "What. Is. Wrong with you? You disappear for, what, seven years, without leaving behind even a _hint_ of where you've gone, and now you just... just randomly _show up_in my life? What kind of a - You had better have a good reason, Ash Ketchum!"

"I don't have one."

Misty stared at him, slightly confused. "What?"

He chuckled, making Misty nearly blush. "I knew that would work."

"When did you become such a creep?" she muttered.

"You don't want to know."

Misty flashed a glance at him, but the expression in his face had already fled. Her grip on him loosened while she watched his every movement like a Pidgeot. He simply smiled. "I was gone... because I had things to take care of."

Frustration bubbled up in her again. "What? What things? You disappear for seven years, you make me wait for you for seven years to do _what_?" Misty felt her voice crack. "I waited for you. I tried calling,I wrote emails, I searched, I asked the police, and yet I didn't get a single text message. Do you know how much I worried? Do you know what you did to me, to your mom, to everyone you abandoned that day? _What_ have you been _freaking doing_?" Without thinking, she slapped him. Shame rose in her throat as she realized what she had just done. An apology started to form at her lips, but his icy look stopped her, and she froze.

It suddenly struck her how different he was from before. That hotheaded, idiotic, immature, childish, petty, insignificant little scrawny little kid had somehow disappeared. In his place stood someone whose smile could make her indomitable will waver and whose words could cut as sharp as a Razor Wind. Somewhere along the road, the child had given in to this... stranger... and she couldn't see him anymore, not like she used to. Worst of all was that he seemed to know her so well, and yet she hardly knew him at all.

Ash's eyes flickered with something she had never seen before: something dark and dangerous, wild.

"You want to know what I've been doing?" He stepped closer. Misty could swear he was trembling - whether with fear or rage, she couldn't tell. "What do you want to believe, Misty?" he said quietly. A cold smile formed on his lips. "Would you rather believe pretty lies or ugly ones? You do have a choice. Would you want me to tell you that I've found my father, become a millionaire, and I want you to marry me? Or," he drawled on, "would you rather have me tell you that I'm broke, friendless, and I've come to you for money because I spent it all on women? Or," he held up a hand before she could speak, "would you like to hear the truth?"

Misty simply stood there and stared at him. "When did you become like this?"

"Do you _want _me to tell you?" Something in his tone made her flinch, as if he'd somehow struck her. "Do you want to hear it? It doesn't matter if you're willing to believe. Only if you're willing to hear."

She nodded numbly. She would probably regret it for the rest of her life.

* * *

From the Authoress:  
Hello, all of my readers. I've been getting very good feedback recently, so I've already started my second chapter!  
I'm so glad that so many people enjoy the first chapter, so I promise to make the second chapter even more pwnsome. It's already turning out to be more than twice as long as the first, so expect good results. Even if I finish it this weekend (it's Martin Luther King Jr. weekend of '09 as I am typing this) I'm planning to publish it sometime near a week from now, just so I can squeeze some more reviews out of you guys...

Just kidding. I can't wait to publish it, so I'll probably end up giving in early. The next chapter is called **_Frost Bite_** for some odd reason that I can't fathom (except for the fact that all of my chapter names have to do with winter). I really don't know where I'm getting all of this stuff from. It's amazing.

See you after I finish Chapter 2!

~Shan Hu Hai

UPDATE: I just finished the second chapter! Yes!


	2. Frost Bites

**_frost bites_**

Almost trembling (but not quite), Misty unlocked the door to her apartment. Inside, she was shivering.

There were several reasons for this.

One: The landlady never turned the thermostat on.

Two: Ash Ketchum was standing right behind her in all of his came-back-from-the-dead glory.

_Ho-oh, how did I get myself into this mess?_ she inwardly groaned. The door swung open, and she flicked the lights on to reveal her sparsely furnished apartment. A couch. A TV. A small coffee table. She walked inside, painfully aware of every one of Ash's footsteps. She turned to face him and, still unable to meet his eyes, asked as naturally as she could, "Want something to drink?"

He shook his head, seemingly preoccupied with his surroundings. She left him to turn several more lights on and came back to see him lounging on the couch which now seemed too small. Pulling up a chair, she sat down opposite from him.

She watched him, this person she didn't know, never knew. He turned his head to look at her, and a hint of that annoying half-smirk appeared at his mouth. His eyes fixed to her face, and she felt coldness tingle her spine. She shook herself, reminding herself that he still had to answer her questions.

"Why did you leave?"

"I had perfectly good reasons."

Misty felt like she could kick him for being so evasive. _The old Ash would just blurt it out in five seconds,_ her mind told her. She kicked her mind and resumed. "I asked you _why_, not if you had good reasons."

"Fine," he said almost impertinently. "I guess I have to start at the beginning, then."

"Go ahead." _Yes, go ahead, you selfish bastard._

"I will." He took a deep breath. "Seven years ago... do you remember what was happening around the time that I disappeared?"

_Of course!_ her mind screamed. "Yes," she said. "It was the Flame Championship."

"And I disappeared the night before the first round began."

She nodded. The screaming fans, the reporters, all had been disappointed when it was announced that Ash Ketchum had disappeared. The uproar had nearly destroyed the stadium where the tournament was supposed to be held.

"I guess you could say that I was abducted, but it was more like I was caught up in something rather than kidnapped. The truth is...

"I traveled back in time."

Misty stared at him. "No you didn't."

"Look, I told you I was going to tell you the truth."

"Then tell me!"

"That's the truth."

She stood up, eyes smoldering. "You're a liar."

"What, so you _want_ to believe that I came to you for money?"

"No, I want you to tell me the reason you left!"

"That's the freaking reason!"

They stopped, both of them panting slightly. "I'm sorry." Ash looked her straight in the eye. "If you don't want to hear the truth, then I won't tell you." He stood and turned to leave.

Reason told Misty that she should just let him go, the stupid selfish bastard... but something else made her say, "Alright. Alright. I can't guarantee that I'll believe you, but... I'll listen."

Ash nodded. "That's the most I was hoping for." He looked around and said distractedly, "Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

The question took Misty by surprise. "What? Oh. What makes you think I'll let you?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

A small smile quirked her lips. "You sure are overconfident as ever."

"At least that hasn't changed about me, has it."

Misty sighed. "Fine. I'll let you stay. But only for tonight." She glanced at the clock, which read 11:30. "Crap. You want to eat something?"

"No. I'm fine."

"I'm getting something for myself, then." She walked to the door and hesitated, realizing what this meant. She was leaving her apartment to someone she barely even knew. _Of course, you knew him seven years ago,_ her heart said. _Just go. It might actually be better if he gets a chance to look around._

"Well? Are you going?"

"Yeah." Still hesitant, she opened the door. She looked back one more time... and stepped out.

* * *

Ash almost breathed a sigh of relief as Misty left. It seemed that whenever she was around, an awkward tension would begin in his chest until... until...

Well, he didn't want to think about the "until".

Slowly, he stood up. The apartment was fairly spacious, and as he walked around, ever so careful, he spotted Misty's bedroom. A bed and a lamp were placed against the wall to the right of the door, opposite from the window. Beside the window, there was a small closet. And to the left of the door, a mirror hung from the wall above a small dresser.

There were several items of interest on the dresser. One was a picture of Misty with her three sisters - the Sensational Sisters, as they called themselves when they performed water shows. Another picture showed Misty, this time surrounded by her Water Pokemon. The smile on her face was almost too happy for him to bear.

The third item of interest on the dresser was a crumpled-up piece of paper. Ash picked it up, opened it, and nearly laughed. The note was from one of Misty's fans, asking her to go out with him. Beside the sender's name, Misty had drawn an arrow and the word, "idiot". The picture the fan had sent of himself had been scribbled over, especially the face. Evidently Misty didn't take kindly to letters of this kind. Ash re-crumpled the note and placed it back where he had found it.

"You really haven't changed too much, Misty," he whispered.

Glancing around, he approached her bed, the covers of which were rumpled and on the verge of sliding off the edge of the mattress. A fluffy yellow pillow, depicting a Psyduck's face, lay buried beneath the covers. On a sudden hunch he reached underneath the pillow... and grasped something.

Slowly, he pulled it out. Another piece of paper, except that it was smooth. He stared at a picture of himself from seven years ago - the day before the tournament was to begin. Originally, the picture had been taken with other rookie Pokemon trainers of his caliber, but the frayed edges of the picture told him that Misty had cut him out alone.

_So you're always thinking about me even though it's been seven years. Even if you don't admit it..._

He lifted up the pillow and placed the picture back where it belonged - then stopped. A small smile came to his face as he pulled the picture out again.

* * *

"I'm back," Misty called warily, shutting the door. Unfortunately, she had returned later than she had hoped. Ash's jacket lay on the couch, but the owner wasn't there. _Where is he?_ she wondered.

_You'd better hope that he hasn't been snooping around your stuff,_ her mind told her sternly.

_He wouldn't,_ insisted her heart. _Unless he has very good reasons, of course._

"Shut up," she told herself.

As quietly as she could, she tiptoed to the guest room and stopped. Ash lay on the bed, without the covers on, and jacketless. It seemed to her that he was sleeping very soundly, his eyes closed like an angel's... She silently thanked Ho-oh that he was not sleeping with his shirt off.

_Otherwise, you'd stare at him for more than an hour,_ her mind said wryly.

"I thought I told you to shut up," she whispered.

The door to the room closed silently behind her as she walked toward her bedroom. Passing by the couch, her eye caught a slip of a paper sticking out of the pocket of Ash's jacket. Curious, she pulled it out and smoothed it. It was crumpled and worn down to a thin film, but the words were still legible. Her heart almost stopped as she read the first three words.

_I love you._

"What?" she whispered to herself. She froze as she heard him stir in the other room, but the sound ceased. She resumed.

_I love you. I don't understand why, because the last time I saw you was when you were only a kid. Tch. Well, I shouldn't be talking, because I was even younger than you._

"Oh God..." Her eyes were riveted to the paper.

_I used to be such a stupid little kid, and at first you hated me. Well, maybe not hated, but you despised me. To you, I was one of those bugs that you always freaked out about. I always thought that was kind of funny..._

_I still remember how we met. You fished me and Pikachu out of the river, and then I stole your bike... I had no idea that you were going to follow me to the ends of the earth just to make me pay you back. But then you didn't. I think we both forgot about the bike, and then we were just two kids, traveling with their friends and their Pokemon. I'd like to believe that you stayed because you wanted to._

_I don't want to remember the day that you left. Of course, I just went on and traveled with May, Max, Brock, and Dawn, but none of them can replace Misty. At the time, I didn't understand why something in me was breaking, but now I know._

_Misty. I don't know why, but I love you. Ironic that I should realize this when I can't even see you or hear you or touch you. I don't know. And I don't know why I'm writing this. What's the point? Even if I somehow manage to get back home, whatever we had will be gone. I've changed so much that even I notice it, and you must have changed even more. Ho-oh... I wish I had never left, but if I hadn't, you probably wouldn't even exist anymore... only in my dreams._

_I sound so depressing, don't I? Great. Now I'm talking to the paper. Or writing to it. Because I'll never see her again._

Misty sank into the couch, struggling to understand the meanings of the words, her eyes scanning across the simple writing, the places where the paper had been stretched by water - tears? What did it mean? Her mind ran over the sentences, trying so desperately to connect the dots. Over and over again she read the short note - letter? - and tried to make sense of it. What did he mean, she would only exist in his dreams? And... he would never see her again? But he was right there.

_Maybe he wrote this before he knew he could come back,_ her mind said. This time, her heart agreed.

"Ho-oh..."

_I can't believe this. I can't I can't I can't._ But the words were right in front of her, and she couldn't deny the words. _Maybe he let you see it on purpose, just to gain your trust. But maybe he didn't; he's not the kind of person who would stoop so low. But he's changed._

_He _does_ love you. Accept it,_ her heart insisted. She rolled her eyes. _What a stupid romantic you are,_ her mind told her. _Even if he did feel this way before, it's not likely that he has the same feelings now._

_But then why would he keep this in his pocket?_

Suddenly she started as she heard footsteps, and her head turned in the direction of the sound. Ash stood in the doorway, an inscrutable look on his face. Slowly, almost as if he was trying not to startle her, he stepped closer until he was standing before her. Her heart stopped - and her mind, too - as Ash lowered himself onto the couch and pressed his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes almost instinctively... and he kissed her.

Something seemed to warm her insides, and she blushed. "God..." she murmured, because there were simply no other words for her to say. Ash pulled away slightly, but her fingers had somehow entangled themselves in his shirt. He stopped to watch her, eyes half open, as if he was almost asleep. A small laugh came from him.

"You read all of it?"

Misty blushed even deeper under his gaze. "Yes."

"It's fine." He ran a hand through his hair, making something stir inside of her as she watched. "I intended for you to read it when I first wrote it."

"When did you write it?"

"About three or four years ago." His eyes met hers. "But my feelings are still the same."

Misty felt her breath catch when he drew her close again. Somehow, the warmth of his body against hers just seemed so natural, so perfect that she even found the courage to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back. A surprised smile came to his lips as she pulled away to look at him.

"I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything then," she said softly.

He nodded. "I don't ever want to leave you again."

"Then don't leave."

Ash shook his head as he unconsciously ran his fingers up and down the back of her neck. "It's not as easy as that."

"Why?"

He simply shook his head again, and a pained look crossed his face for an instant. "Reasons."

"Stop being so evasive," she complained. "You wouldn't do this seven years ago."

"Well, now I have reasons for being evasive. Just believe me. Or just listen. Because you probably won't believe me." He glanced at his watch and groaned. It read 5:30 pm. "Ho-oh... I still feel so _tired_."

"Why?"

"I changed Time Zones, silly." He smiled.

Misty grew still as she contemplated his play on words. "So. You're still going with that story."

"Yeah, because it's the only story."

"I wish you had something more believable," she murmured, leaning against him.

"Well, I don't. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

They sat in silence for a while, trying to think, trying to understand each other.

"You know, I knew you for so long," Misty began, "but now that I look at you, you're a completely different person. I mean," she struggled to find her words, "you still look the same, but you act differently. You've grown. And not just in height."

Ash watched her for a few seconds and then spoke. "Well, at least I'm still overconfident, aren't I?"

"Yes. You even took advantage of me."

"Your lips, not you. Don't even suggest otherwise."

"Alright."

"And I'm still really annoying." He moved closer.

"Yes." Misty's eyes flickered from his eyes to his mouth. "You are."

"And," he said, his face a mere inch away, "I'm still totally, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with you."

His kiss this time was not gentle - it was wild, it was ravenous - it was as if he had been starving for all of those seven years and now... now...

"Oh God," Misty gasped as they broke away again. Ash was breathing hard, his forehead pressed to the hollow of her shoulder.

"You're right. I am taking advantage of you," he muttered.

"Serves you right for not listening to me," she said weakly, smiling.

"Yeah." He stood, letting cool air rush between them, and walked back to the door of the guest room. "I'm going to sleep some more." The door shut behind him.

Misty shivered. Not just because it had somehow become colder, but because-

He had taken a part of her with him.

* * *

**From the Authoress:**  
I just couldn't wait to publish the second chapter, so here it is! I can't wait... I wonder what'll happen next?  
Ash is so. Freaking. Hot. *high-pitched fangirl squeal* Angsty... broad shoulders... tall... really romantic... *sigh* I should stop being a fangirl of my own fic... it's unsightly.

Anyways. I'm not sure how long the third chapter will take, but I already have some ideas for it. Might take up to a week, two weeks. Even though the second chapter came out really really fast, it was because I was SO DANG HAPPY that people were reading and reviewing, and I also really really wanted to finish that scene. So just keep an eye out. And review. Please tell me how I can improve; it'll be a big help!


	3. Ice

_**ice**_

* * *

Sighing, Misty turned off the lamp next to her bed as she pulled up the covers. Life had somehow become so much more complicated in the matter of a few hours, what with Ash finding her again after seven years. And she had never known, never even dared to imagine that he would somehow still want her. She thought back to Ash's last kiss... and blushed.

_You idiot,_ she told herself. _Stop thinking about it! _"But I want to," she whispered to herself.

His touch still lingered on her as if reluctant to leave. She could still feel his arms around her, his lips pressed against hers, the feeling of his hands as they held her desperately...

_Desperately?_she thought. That didn't seem right. Maybe he was afraid to lose her...? No, that was stupid; she was fantasizing. But it did make sense, in a way. The only question was why. And what about his story? He'd claimed that the reason for his disappearance was somehow linked to time-travel, but it just didn't seem plausible. Unless, of course, he had met Celebi, the legendary time-traveling Grass-and-Psychic-type Pokemon. The two of them had met one before on their travels, when a Celebi had traveled from the past to the present, but the Celebi were extremely rare. Besides, it was even rarer that a Celebi would time-travel with a human unless in dire need.

She lay there, thinking, wondering, dreaming in the darkness. Ash's sudden appearance had roused something within her, something she had tried so hard to suppress while he had been gone - feelings. She had to calm down... Breathe in, breathe out. That was the advice her sisters had given her when they first taught her how to swim. _And a world of good that's done me,_ she thought wryly.

Misty turned over, her hand reaching underneath her pillow for the picture she had kept there for seven years. She pulled it out, sat up, and flicked on the light again. She almost gasped as she saw what was written on the back of the picture. _Evidently, Ash _did_ take time to search your room,_ her mind said. _See?_

_Be quiet!_ she told her mind, and began to read.

_Misty, I'm glad to see you still thought of me,_ the paper went. _Sorry if I'm being intrusive. I looked at the paper on your dresser, too. Thanks for rejecting that "idiot", even if it wasn't for me.  
-Ash_

"It _was_ for you, though," she murmured. Flipping the picture over, she stared at the face she had known for so long, and then thought of the face it had become. _There really is no doubt it's him,_ she thought, _but I just don't know... even if he's practically said it... I just don't know if I can feel about him the same way anymore. God, I'm so sleepy..._

Her head nodded as she tried to concentrate, unwilling to lose her grip on reality, lest it turn out to be a dream. "Ash..." She lay back down and held the picture up to the light. "Why did you have to change... why did I... have to change? It's not fair... it's just not fair to either of us, is it..."

The world blurred, and then it went pitch black.

* * *

Light pierced through the window, the curtains, and then Ash's eyes. Groaning, he pulled himself up to face the window, pushing the curtains aside. His eyes looked out on a scenery that was, at the same time, both familiar and alien to him.

"Cerulean's really changed in the last seventeen years - no, seven years - no, both," he said, smiling faintly to himself. He let the curtain swing shut and slid off of the bed, feet sinking into carpet. His silent footsteps took him to the door, then down the hallway to Misty's bedroom. Cautiously, he nudged open the door. Misty slept in her bed, the covers twisted around her. A relieved half-sigh came from him as he turned back to the small living room. His jacket lay on the couch, undisturbed except for the portion that covered its pocket. Ash checked the pocket and found that the paper he had carried for three years was gone. His memory flashed as he remembered the events of last night, and a blush almost tinged his cheeks.

"Ho-oh, what was I thinking?" he murmured dazedly. "How stupid can I get...?" He cast about for the lost paper and realized that Misty must still have it somewhere. _Dammit_, he cursed inwardly. _I should've thought it out... I shouldn't have let her see it... most of all, I shouldn't have kissed her then. Raising her hopes like that. I really am an idiot, just like she's always known me to be..._

Sighing, he pulled his jacket on and walked to the front door, then stopped. He frowned slightly, then walked back into Misty's room and emerged with her keys. Satisfied, he finally stepped outside.

* * *

"Nnh..." Misty opened her eyes, blearily read the time on the clock, then shut her eyes again. It was Sunday, wasn't it? Then there was no need for her to get up at eight...

Suddenly she sat up, heart pounding. Last night hadn't been some hallucination, had it? Ash had really come back, he really had, and he'd -

Oh God. She couldn't think anymore. Not when she was remembering his last kiss like a waking dream, and especially not when the temperature threatened to make her fingers drop off. Shivering, she slid out of bed, carefully locked the door to her bedroom, and began to dress.

Once done, she checked herself in the mirror, pulling every crease straight. A prick of annoyance kept attacking her from the direction of her mind, but her pounding heart left no room for discussion. Ash was here. Or, at least, he had been here last night. Right? It hadn't been some dream or hallucination. She had really felt his body press against her as he lowered his lips to hers...

"Shut up shut up shut up!" she growled fiercely at her reflection, which growled back. Her brow furrowed as she tried to tease her carrot-orange hair into something that looked less like a Tangela's vines and more like... hair. Failing this, she tied it tightly into her usual Ponytatail and was in the middle of inspecting it when a hand descended on her shoulder. She froze. Ash hesitated, unsure of what to do, unsure of what she expected him to do. After an awkward pause, during which both of them blushed, he said quickly, "You look amazing today," which was his honest opinion.

"Thanks," said Misty, unable to think.

Ash reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out Misty's keys. Her eyes widened.

"What were you doing with those?" she said icily. Ash shrugged, tossing them to her, and merely replied, "I went out."

"Oh." She relaxed.

As Ash left the room, Misty breathed a sigh of relief, slumping against the wall. She'd never even imagined how _awkward_ this would be, either. It was only natural, right? They hadn't seen each other for seven years... and he'd changed. They had both changed. And somehow, he seemed... older. Even older than herself. And technically, she was supposed to be a year older than he was.

"But, of course, he traveled through time, so I can't say anything," she muttered. She pocketed her keys, took a breath, and pushed open the door.

The smell of fast food hit her like a Surf attack. A paper bag sat on the coffee table, a note on it.

_He just always has to leave a note for everything, doesn't he?_ she thought wryly, and tore off the note.

_Hey, I'm going out again,_ the note read. _I got this for you earlier._

"Dammit. He always leaves at the worst times," she grumbled. "I finally gather the nerve to ask him what he's been doing for the last seven years, and he leaves. Great."

Then a sudden realization hit her, and she patted her pocket to make sure her keys were there. They were.

_And Ash had left without them._

"What...?" she whispered. Without the keys, he couldn't get into the apartment... so did that mean--

Memories flashed through her mind like a Sacred Fire.

_"I don't ever want to leave you again."_

_"Then don't leave."_

_Ash shook his head. "It's not as easy as that."_

"Dammit!"

Within the next second she was out the door.

* * *

The air was chilling. Misty panted, her breaths making clouds in the air, as the sun set in the distance. Shadows stretched long over the sidewalk, and the area was nearly deserted. She groaned as the last rays vanished behind the buildings.

"Ho-oh... that idiot. That freaking _idiot!_"

Her gasps subsided slowly. She'd looked everywhere, searched every place in Cerulean City, and yet she couldn't find him. Once or twice she had thought she was getting close, but then the trail had gone cold. Literally. She folded her arms around herself, trying to stay warm, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

She couldn't let herself think that he had left. Never. Never ever ever. He hadn't left, and that was it. He was simply hiding from her, yes, that was it. She couldn't find him because he wasn't letting her. Yes. Yes...

"Oh God..." Misty collapsed onto the pavement and let her tears flow. Sobs shook her thin frame. There just wasn't any way that that was true, was there. He was gone. Again. And she had known that he would go, and she had simply let him. She had let him go again, the only one who mattered to her, the only one who would ever matter. It had always been that way, and it was always going to be that way. The world was just so _unfair_.

"_Damn you!_" she screamed, voice breaking. The sound echoed off the dark buildings. "_Damn you, _Ash Ketchum! Why can't you just _leave me alone?_" She cried, cold, shivering, her body wracked with sobs, unable to accept it, unable to think or to move... "You always have to _do this_ to me, you always come and then walk away like I'm _nothing_ to you... and I _hate it! I hate your guts, you heartless bastard!_"

A shudder ran through her as tears ran down her face, down her hands, cold, freezing her to the spot. _He's gone, he's gone, he's gone,_ her entire being seemed to scream. _He's gone, forever, you'll never see him again, he's gone..._

"Who said anything about walking away?"

She gasped. No. Nononono_no_. It was a delusion, some hallucination sprung from her brain, a figment of her imagination. There was just no way. Her eyes stared sightlessly before her, at the ground, and she heard - no, she _thought_ she heard footsteps.

"Misty."

The sound was like water. Water, in the sense that it restored her. Water, in the sense that it was what she loved. Water, because it was spoken in Ash Ketchum's voice.

"No," she whispered.

Another step. "Yes."

"No, no, shut up, go away _go away!_" she nearly screamed, but she felt as if someone was holding her, kneeling beside her on the concrete, hands clutching at her shoulders, her back, her waist, unwilling to let go. It was all a delusion, she knew, but it was just so real that she couldn't help looking into his eyes.

"You're going to disappear," she said breathlessly to the illusion. He shook his head, and she buried her face in his chest. "You're going to leave."

"No."

"Yes."

Ash kissed her, so many times that it seemed real, and she started crying again just because it felt like he was really _there_. She thought she heard a single word escape from his nonexistent lips.

"Sorry."

She looked at him, this dream, and smiled through her tears. "You're an idiot." She wiped a hand across her eyes. "Stupid. Idiot. Baka. Moron. Imbecile. Dolt. Nitwit."

"I'm sorry," he said again, his arms holding her so tightly she never wanted him to let go.

"Why do you have to say sorry right when it's not real?" she said, half-laughing, half-crying. "Why is it that you can never apologize to me when it's not a dream?"

"It's not a dream."

"It _is._"

"Then stop thinking it's a dream," was all he could say. And she could only cry.

* * *

He carried her home in his arms, even though she protested, even though he knew she could walk by herself. He did it, not only for her, but also for himself, because he felt that he just needed to hold her. And it just wasn't the same if she was walking beside him.

When they reached the door to Misty's apartment, she barely noticed when he pulled out a key identical to hers and unlocked the door. It swung open, and he carried her to her room, where he laid her on the bed. She was almost asleep when he leaned over the bed and kissed her gently in the darkness. A stifled whimper issued from her, and he stopped before he walked out the door.

"What?" he whispered.

"I'm just so embarrassed," Misty whispered back.

"About what?"

There was a long pause. "You know. When I... I..."

"It was my fault. I should've thought it over."

He saw her nod slowly. "But I'm still the one who did it."

Ash sighed. "I'm the one who made you do it."

"I'm sorry for calling you a bastard."

"I'm sorry for making you call me a bastard."

"Good. You should feel sorry." A smile parted her lips. Pain lanced through him even as joy did; the thought of ever having to leave her was so unbearable that he considered, for a second, asking her to leave with him.

"Misty..." he began.

"What?"

"...nothing."

He heard her sit up. "It can't be nothing. Tell me," she demanded.

"How did I know you were going to be stubborn about this, too?" Ash groaned.

"Just tell me. You can't keep me out forever if you're going to kiss me senseless every single day," she said, with a hint of a blush. Then more softly, "Are you going to leave?"

"Maybe."

Silence.

"You know, you haven't told me what happened to you yet."

"I know. I've been avoiding it."

"Stop avoiding it."

He shook his head. Misty stood and walked over to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his neck, hoping and hoping that he would only tell her, that was all she wanted...

"I can't."

"You're lying." Even though he had never lied to her in his entire life, even though he didn't want to lie to her, and she knew it. It was the only way for her to live.

"No." And he gently, painfully, pushed her away. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

And he was gone.

Tomorrow, he said. Always tomorrow. Never now, never ever right then and there, he just had to always lay it off until later, didn't he? Never the present, always tomorrow. Time was his master, Time was his slave. He didn't know how to do it. He couldn't. It was just... impossible. He had reviewed this moment every day since he had gone back, every day that he knew he was getting closer, closer, closer to coming back to her, and yet he still couldn't do it.

_Never never never ever._

The air was cold. He was cold. In her room, Misty was cold, crying, broken and fragile.

"Goddamn it."

He hoped that tomorrow would come.

* * *

From the Author:  
I know it doesn't make too much sense, and I know that some of the places are a bit awkward, but hopefully the kinks will smooth out.  
Eventually.  
Anyways, this is Chapter Three of Turning the Clock, and I hope all of my readers enjoy it.


	4. Tomorrow

**_tomorrow_**

* * *

_Tomorrow._

_Was it here? Tomorrow._

* * *

The day had dawned bright. Streams of sunlight slid their way through the closed shutters on the windows. Misty and Ash sat on opposite sides of the couch, silent, trying not to look at each other.

Misty shifted slightly. Nervously.

"All you have to do is listen," Ash said again, as if it was a spell.

"I know! For God's sake, I know!" Misty nearly cried out.

The air suddenly went so still that Misty imagined she could feel the tiny currents of air caused by her heartbeat. She almost imagined that she could feel _his_ heartbeat.

"Misty..." he looked at her, straight into her eyes, holding her, fixing her into place as if she would disappear. But he was the one who might disappear, not her. He was the one who had left... for seven freaking years...

"Ash, is there something...?" she asked.

"What?"

"Tell me."

"I... God." He broke his gaze, covered his face with one hand. "I don't want to. But I can't _not_ tell you."

"Then just say it."

"I. Don't. Want to hurt you," he forced out.

The cold tingle of fear crept slowly up her back. "What?"

"I don't want to... I don't want to make you hate me for this."

"Just..." She faltered, because she didn't know what to do. For a moment, she despaired as she watched this Ash, this stranger. Of course he was different. She hadn't just expected him to tell everything to her all in one go, had she?

_But you had,_ her mind told her.

"Misty. I don't want you to... take this the wrong way... or anything. I just want you to listen. And afterwards you can scream at me, you can laugh in my face, you can cry, but don't stop me. I don't think I'll be able to start again if you stop me."

"Just freaking tell me, you idiot," she whispered. A small smile.

He took a deep breath, held it, let it out. She saw him swallow nervously.

_"Misty, I slept with someone."_

Everything came out. The fear, the hesitation, the smiles and the regret. The anger, not only at himself, but at whoever had created their stupid world. He had been stupid. Again. As usual. As always. Except that this time, it was irreversible, even if it was in the past. And he regretted it, every single moment of it, even if it had provided for him, for a short time, a source of relief. Relief from his own feelings. And his memories. But what had opened to him was a pain that clung to his soul.

Misty was silent. After the initial shock, she had listened without comment to his narrative, as he tried so desperately to make her understand what he had thought, what he had felt... and what he felt now. There wasn't any way she could forgive him anymore, could she, his eyes seemed to say. Of course. But she didn't have to forgive him, all she had to do was listen...

He finished. It wasn't that long of a story, anyways. There wasn't too much to describe. He'd kept closing his eyes as if trying to blot out the memory and the pain, trying so hard not to remember.

And then suddenly he stopped, and she glanced up.

That was it.

The room was silent. And then she realized that he was waiting for her to say something.

_It... hurts me,_ she thought. _But he's been gone for so long, I shouldn't have expected anything else. And yet it still hurts me._

_Of course it does! He was the one who disappeared for seven freaking years! He was the one who came back and made you think that something was still possible!_

"So."

The word hung in the air, aimless.

"I shouldn't have kissed you then. Misty."

"_Damn right you shouldn't have!_" She rose from the couch, trying not to cry. But she didn't feel like crying. She felt like... screaming.

"Misty--"

"_Shut up! Shut up I don't want to hear your stupid excuses anymore so just shut up!_" Standing there. Breathe. Just breathe. "You had the nerve to come back and make me think we still had a chance and then you tell me_ this? Why don't you just go and die?!_"

Ash flinched.

"You bastard! You freaking_ bastard!_ I don't know why, but you just had to come here and _break my heart_, didn't you? Just because you still wanted me; you're so _selfish_ and _conceited_ and so _dirty_ I don't know why I even loved you! Go away!" And she pulled him from the couch and flung him toward the door, pushing him outside. "_Go!_ I don't ever want to see your face again!"

She slammed the door shut. And she stopped. And she leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath. She'd done it. She had pushed him out of her life, out of her apartment, at least. And she didn't feel... like crying. Just a cold numbness, not unwelcoming.

"He's gone," she whispered to herself.

"He's gone."

* * *

From the Authoress:  
Badly written. That's what this is. I'm thinking of not continuing this story and putting it on hold for the next.... er... I dunno. It's just that it hasn't turned out the way I want it to. And the idea of Ash _doing it_ with someone other than Misty is so cliche. Argh. Especially since he traveled through time and everything. I'm starting to cringe inside every time I look at this story.


End file.
